Commissioners

Mr. Michael Zimmerman has been with Campus, formerly known as MTI College, since 2009, and began serving as the institution’s president in 2017. In addition to his responsibilities at Campus, he is a member of the board of directors for the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools and is Vice Chair of the Golden Sierra Workforce Development Board. He served previously as a peer reviewer. Mr. Zimmerman holds a B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dr. Katherine Fundukian is the retired Superintendent of Monrovia Unified School District. As Superintendent she oversaw a district comprised of approximately 5,400 students and 700 employees serving students in one pre-school, five elementary schools, two middle schools, one comprehensive high school, one continuation high school, one k-12 independent study program, and a robust adult education program. Dr. Fundukian’s career in education also includes service as an adjunct professor, at the University of California, Irvine; assistant superintendent and principal at the Glendale Unified School District; and assistant principal, grade level coordinator, and English teacher at Walnut Valley Unified School District. She is currently the Association of California School Administrators representative on the Accrediting Commission for Schools (ACS-WASC) and has served on school accreditation committees and visiting teams. Dr. Fundukian holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California; an M.S. in Counseling with option in Administration from California State University, Los Angeles; and a B.A. in English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mr. Jeffrey K. Ball (“Jeff”) is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Orange County Business Council where he represents the interests of local businesses and organizations in promoting the region’s economic prosperity. He is the Founder of Friendly Hills Bank in Whittier where he previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer and is currently Vice Chair of the Board. Prior to opening Friendly Hills Bank he held several officer positions with BankAmerica Corporation focused on both Commercial and Investment Banking. Mr. Ball is a leading advocate for the importance of Financial Education in all communities and was the lead petitioner in the establishment of Kinetic Academy, a K-8 charter school located in Huntington Beach, California where he currently serves as Vice Chair. Mr. Ball is a Past Chair of the California Bankers Association and Kinetic Academy, Past President of the Whittier Host Lions Club and Past Founding Chair of the Whittier Union High School District Foundation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Mobility21 and Data Center, Inc. as Chair of the Audit Committee. Mr. Ball is also a member by appointment of the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission of the California State Bar to which he previously served as Co-Chair chaired and is a Public Member of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Mr. Ball frequently guest lectures on Financial and Economic principles at colleges and universities across the nation. He has a Masters in Business Administration from Whittier College and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration/Finance from the University of Puget Sound.

Dr. Kathleen F. Burke recently retired after serving as Interim Deputy Chancellor for the Los Angeles Community College District from June 2023 to December 2025. Dr. Burke brings over 44 years of experience in the California Community College system, including service as President of Los Angeles Pierce College for eight years and Chancellor of the South Orange County Community College District for four years. Her career includes 20 years in the Los Angeles Community College District, where she held roles as college president, vice president, and academic dean, and over than 20 years as a faculty member at Glendale Community College. In addition, she chaired three comprehensive review teams and served on seven additional peer review teams for ACCJC. Dr. Burke holds a Doctorate of Education in Institutional Management from Pepperdine University; a Master of Arts in Art from California State University, Northridge; a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, both from the University of California, Irvine; and an Associate of Arts in Humanities from Glendale Community College.

Mr. Herman Bounds Jr. is the recently retired Director of the Accreditation Group within the Office of Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. The Accreditation Group has statutory and regulatory authority over recognized accrediting agencies, recognized state approval agencies for nursing education, and recognized state approval agencies for vocational education. Prior to this service, Mr. Bounds was also a faculty member and administrator at a career and technical institution in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. During the 14 years that he worked at Metro Technology Centers, Oklahoma had 29 career and technology institutions that were accredited by the Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education, which was one of the four recognized state approval agencies for vocational education. He served on site teams for eight years in an educator role. While working at the Department, as part of the Accreditation Group’s oversight authority, Mr. Bounds observed institutional site visits from 2012 to 2024. In addition, he is a U.S. Army veteran with 20 years of service. Mr. Bounds holds an Ed.S. in Educational Administration Leadership from Walden University, an M.S. in Aerospace Administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and a B.S. in Aviation Technical Services Management from Oklahoma State University.

Dr. David Broad is the retired Vice President/General Manager of Oceanside Product Operations at Genentech, Inc., a biotechnology corporation. During his career in biotechnology, Dr. Broad became a biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing expert providing strategic and technical guidance related to the development, scale-up, manufacturing, and outsourcing for a wide range of biologics. He served in high-level management and executive positions working under Food and Drug Administration regulations and employee Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure Quality Assurance and continual improvement. In addition to his career in biotechnology, Dr. Broad is an outgoing Trustee at MiraCosta Community College where he  ended his service in May 2022 after 11 years, six of which as President. He based his trusteeship on the belief that good governance and leadership are critical to ensuring community colleges can fulfil their mission to serve all members of the community. During his time as Trustee, he used his executive and leadership experience to help develop and stabilize trustee and CEO relations and was actively involved in the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation process. Dr. Broad also volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), advocating for youth going through the foster system. Dr. Broad holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and a B.Sc. in Microbiology, both from the University of London.

Dr. Caleb Fowler Jr. has over 30 years of experience as a higher education faculty member and is currently a Professor of Computer Information Science at Folsom Lake College. Dr. Fowler has been on the Folsom Lake College Accreditation Steering Committee for over 10 years and has participated in two accreditation cycles at the college. His doctoral studies at the University of California, Davis, focused on social justice in education, and his dissertation explored using the institutional self-evaluation report to generate actionable information for community college leadership to improve college operations. Dr. Fowler has served on four ACCJC peer review teams. Prior to his work in education, he was an insurance industry underwriter where he honed his skills in identifying and mitigating risks. Dr. Fowler holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership (CANDEL Program) from the University of California, Davis; and an MBA and B.A. in Computer Information Science from California Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Dr. Kelly Fowler is the Vice President of Instruction and Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) at Mt. San Antonio College. She has more than fifteen years of accreditation experience serving as a Chief Instructional Officer and ALO in the California Community College system. In these roles, accreditation was central to her leadership responsibilities, including oversight of curriculum, program review, student learning outcomes assessment, institutional effectiveness, and instructional planning. Her work has focused on aligning instructional practices and institutional processes with accreditation standards to strengthen academic quality, institutional accountability, and equitable student outcomes. Dr. Fowler has contributed to several statewide leadership initiatives that support policy development and collaboration across the California Community College system and served on the executive board of the California Community Colleges Chief Instructional Officers organization for more than a decade. She has served on several ACCJC peer review teams as a team member, chair assistant, and co-chair. Dr. Fowler holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Texas Tech University, and a Master of Arts in Pure Mathematics and Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from Appalachian State University.

Dr. Angélica Garcia is the Superintendent/President of Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) committed to improving access, equity, and student success in higher education. A fellow with the Aspen Institute for New Presidents, the National Community College Hispanic Council, and the UC Davis Wheelhouse Institute, Dr. Garcia is committed to student-centered, equity-minded leadership. Prior to SRJC, she served as President of Berkeley City College and Vice President of Student Services at Skyline College and has held other administrative and adjunct faculty roles in the California Community College system and various positions in human services and social work. Dr. Garcia’s accreditation experience includes working on an accreditation oversight team at St. Mary’s College and service as vice chair and chair on two ACCJC peer review teams. She believes that integrity and transparency of processes is essential in accreditation work and is eager to bring her student-centered perspective and broad range of experience in service to the larger ACCJC community. Dr. Garcia earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University, a Master’s in Social Work from San Diego State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal and Civic Studies from Saint Mary’s College of California.

Dr. Paul L. Gaston III, Trustees Professor Emeritus, Kent State University, is an experienced scholar with a focus on higher education reform, quality assurance, public policy, and the humanities. Dr. Gaston is a frequent speaker at national conferences, a Distinguished Fellow of the American Association of Colleges & Universities, and an influential author. His most recent books are Revising General Education (2009, with Jerry Gaff), The Challenge of Bologna (2010), Higher Education Accreditation: How It’s Changing, Why It Must (2014), Credentials (2023, with Michelle Van Noy), and Rebuilding Public Support for Higher Education (2024). He is the author also of two monographs on general education: General Education and Liberal Learning (2010) and General Education Transformed: How We Can, Why We Must (2015). Dr. Gaston has extensive experience with accreditation having worked in some capacity with every institutional accrediting commission as a consultant, peer evaluator, facilitator, or through foundation-supported projects. He has also worked with the Council on Higher Education Accreditation, Lumina Foundation, the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Dr. Gaston earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in English from the University of Virginia, where he was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, and a B.A. in English from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Dr. Ralph Hexter is Distinguished Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature emeritus at the University of California, Davis, and immediate past chair of the President’s Advisory Committee on Research in the Humanities. He has held administrative positions at Yale University, where he started his teaching career; at the University of Colorado, Boulder; and at UC Berkeley, where he was chair of the Department of Comparative Literature, dean of arts & humanities, and executive Dean of the College of Letters & Science. From 2005-2010 he served as president of Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, and from 2011-2020 as provost & executive vice chancellor of UC Davis, during fifteen months of which time he served first as acting and then as interim chancellor. Both Hampshire College and UC Davis underwent successful reaccreditation reviews by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and WASC, respectively, during his time in leadership positions. For WASC he has served on two evaluation committees (for San Diego State University and UEM Madrid) and for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities he chaired the most recent reaccreditation review of the University of Washington. Dr. Hexter holds A.B., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard College, Oxford University, and Yale University, respectively.

Dr. Jennifer Juras is the Chief of Institutional Effectiveness and Research and Accreditation Liaison Officer at Mount Tamalpais College (MTC). MTC provides a rigorous, inclusive Associate of Arts degree and College Preparatory Program – free of charge – to students at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, with a mission grounded in equity, access, civic engagement, independence of thought, and freedom of expression. Dr. Juras joined MTC during its candidacy for accreditation and played a critical role in its evolution from its origins as the Prison University Project to becoming an independent, accredited college. In her role, she leads institutional effectiveness strategy, guides accreditation strategy and compliance with ACCJC Standards, and directs internal and external research initiatives. Dr. Juras has designed and implemented integrated systems for student learning outcomes assessment across instructional, support, and co-curricular programs; built a cohesive framework that transforms data and analysis into shared institutional knowledge for decision-making; and established and led program review processes. Prior to her work at MTC, Dr. Juras was Director of Institutional Research at California College of the Arts, Senior Director of Impact and Evaluation for Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo, & Marin Counties, and held other roles in research and evaluation. Her accreditation experience includes service across both traditional and nontraditional higher education settings, including service on one ACCJC peer review team. Dr. Juras holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Ecological/Community Psychology from Michigan State University, and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Kim L. Morrison is the Asset-Based Information Literacy Librarian at Chabot College where they have worked since 2004. In this role, Dr. Morrison provides information literacy instruction in course-related workshops and credit courses; outreach and mentorship to student organizations, campus student services and learning communities (UMOJA, Striving Black Brothers, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), Rise: Prison to College Program); and is a liaison with assigned departments. They are responsible for collection development of online and print materials and participate in collegial governance. Dr. Morrison has also served as the Library Coordinator at Chabot College and was a Schomberg – Spectrum Initiative Resident, Information Literacy Librarian, and EOPS- Information Literacy Coordinator at State University of New York, Buffalo. They have served as an ACCJC peer review team member on six visiting teams. Dr. Morrison holds a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science from Queensland University of Technology; a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from State University of New York, Buffalo; and a B.A. in American Cultural Studies from Fairhaven College, Western Washington University.

Justine Phillips is a Partner at Baker McKenzie, a premier global law firm, in the Data & Cyber Practice Group for North America. Ms. Phillips focuses her practice on both proactive and reactive cybersecurity and data protection services, representing multinational clients in matters related to incident readiness and resilience, compliance with global cyber laws, privileged cyber investigations and gap assessments, data governance, and data and cyber litigation. In addition to her professional practice, she brings extensive experience working with regulatory frameworks, governance, risk management, and institutional accountability across complex organizations. Ms. Phillips is deeply engaged in professional service and public facing education, serving on the Board of the InfraGard National Members Alliance, is founder and chair of both the Cyber Law Symposium and the San Diego Cyber Council, and is a frequent presenter and panelist at national and international conferences, contributing to discussions on governance, risk, ethics, and regulatory compliance. She regularly writes and contributes to professional and mainstream publications on those topics, reflecting an ongoing commitment to public education, thought leadership, and informed dialogue on matters of institutional responsibility. Ms. Phillips holds a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and a B.A. from the University of San Diego.

Dr. Ángel Reyna is President of Madera Community College. In May 2019, Dr. Reyna was hired as founding president to lead the institution through Initial Accreditation to become the fourth college within the State Center Community College District (SCCCD). As President, he worked with faculty, staff, and students to establish Madera Community College’s inaugural Mission, Vision, Values, Educational Master Plan, Strategic Plan, and Governance Structure, and re-imagined the organizational structure to support an equity-minded campus culture. He has taken on leadership roles related to equity and anti-racism within SCCCD and the California community college system, for which he serves on the statewide CEO Racial Equity and Inclusive Excellence Taskforce. Dr. Reyna’s career includes nearly 8 years as an elected official for the City of Mabton (Washington State) including three and a half years as mayor. His prior roles in higher education include Vice President of Instruction at Renton Technical College where he also chaired the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council; Dean of Workforce Education at Walla Walla Community College; and Director for Workforce Education and ESL Adjunct Instructor at Yakima Valley Community College. He served on the Washington State Community and Technical Colleges’ Cross-Institutional Faculty of Color Mentorship Advisory Board, Washington Workforce Education Council, and Washington State Board of Health, and he founded a statewide leadership program for aspiring administrators of color. Dr. Reyna holds an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership, from Northeastern University; and a Master’s in Education Leadership and a B.A. in History Education, both from Washington State University.

Mario Rodriguez is the Executive Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration for the Los Rios Community College District responsible for the core drivers of fiscal stability and institutional capacity across a multi-college district. His portfolio includes budgeting, accounting, facilities, public safety, governmental relations, human resources, oversight connected to financial aid functions and related compliance obligations, and shared oversight for district information technology projects. Mr. Rodriguez is also the President of the Association of Chief Business Officials, Chair of Northern California Chief Business Officials, a Member of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Workgroup on Fiscal Affairs, and active in other statewide legislative and oversight groups. He is dedicated to staying current on higher education finance and policy developments. Mr. Rodriguez has extensive accreditation experience at the institution and district levels, has served on several ACCJC peer review teams, and has contributed to the Commission’s broader fiscal oversight and standards work. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Mr. Jeff Stearns is a Professor of Language Arts and the Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) at Honolulu Community College (HonCC). Mr. Stearns teaches English composition, literature, and journalism courses. As ALO, he is responsible for coordinating and supervising the accreditation activities and has successfully led the college through its last comprehensive reviews. Other professional experience includes serving as the Division Chair of Language Arts and chairing the Planning and Institutional Effectiveness Council at HonCC. He participated in the University of Hawaii President’s Emerging Leaders Program and Community College Student Success Council. Mr. Stearns has also worked in journalism as a foreign correspondent and production editor in Tokyo and Singapore. He has served on six ACCJC peer review teams and was an ACCJC Standards Review writing team member for the 2024 draft Standards. Mr. Stearns holds a Master of Arts Non-Fiction Writing (M.A.W), a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Iowa, and a B.A. in Japanese Literature from Kokugakuin University.

Ms. Della Teraoka is the recently retired Interim Vice President for Community Colleges at the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges System Office. Ms. Teraoka has been with the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges (UHCC) system since 2020 and began serving as the interim vice president in July 2024. In that role, she provided leadership and support for seven community colleges. Before moving to the system office, Ms. Teraoka worked for 20 years at Leeward Community College where she held a wide range of positions from professor to vice chancellor for academic affairs. Prior to joining UH, she worked in private industry for seven years as an accountant and manager. While at Leeward Community College, Ms. Teraoka served as Accreditation Liaison Officer from 2012 until 2019 and served on ACCJC evaluation teams in 2014 and 2016. Ms. Teraoka earned her Master’s Business Administration from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s Business Administration in Accounting and Management Information Systems from Texas Tech University.

Dr. Rowena Tomaneng is the Deputy Chancellor at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Previously, she served as President of San José City College and President Prior of Berkeley City College. She also served in multiple roles at De Anza College, including faculty in English, Asian American Studies, and Women’s Studies, Division Dean, and Associate Vice President of Instruction. Dr. Tomaneng serves on several Boards and Advisory Committees, including Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education Board of Directors, American Association of Community Colleges Board of Directors, American Council on Education Strengthening Institutions Roundtable, and others. Her past service also includes serving as a member of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officers of the California Community Colleges, and the Community College League of California. Dr. Tomaneng has extensive accreditation and higher education experience. With her faculty and administrative roles, she has served on several college accreditation teams as a Standard Team lead and writer. With her presidencies, she has led the entire process of developing Institutional Self-Evaluation Reports and has served as an ACCJC peer review team chair and co-chair for several colleges. Dr. Tomaneng received her Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco’s School of Education in International and Multicultural Education with a concentration in Human Rights Education; M.A. in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara; and B.A. in English from the University of California, Irvine.

Ms. Karen Wong is a Professor of English and currently serves as Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness at Skyline College. In the first half of her career at the College, Ms. Wong taught English, co-coordinating the Puente Program, outcomes assessment and grants like the Basic Skills Initiative. Presently she coordinates operations and activities pertaining to evaluating institutional effectiveness, and is deeply engaged in accreditation at the College. She’s long been committed to fostering student success, equity, and intercultural understanding. Ms. Wong received recognition from her colleagues with the ASCCC’s Regina Stanback-Stroud Diversity Award and ASCCC/ RP Group’s SLO Coordinator of the Year Award. Beyond Skyline College, she has served on two California Community College Chancellor Office’s Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative resource teams and three ACCJC peer review teams. Ms. Wong holds an M.A. in English Composition from San Francisco State University and a B.A. in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz.